Bath Me in Mercy
by MewSara100
Summary: What mercy was there to be found, for the demon who plucked the wings from an angel? If he could not be bathed in mercy, could he baptize something pure in the fires of passion, and be sated? An angel with no memories, no grace...was human. And humans were flawed. But angels were perfect, beautiful things. They were fine treats, and he was a demon of cultured tastes. (Fixed!)
1. Chapter 1

"A-Asa…-AH!"

He shuddered, tightening his grip on his control as his boy arched beneath him. Oh god...at this rate, he wouldn't last much longer. "Akihito…" Careful not to hold his young lover tight enough to bruise, Asami pushed into him, riding him even as his own climax mounted. "Come for me," he growled, needing to feel the smaller man bucking under him. Gentle, he reminded himself...be very, very gentle. After all, he'd taken him hard and fast just that morning. While Aki's stamina had increased, the boy had remained incredibly fragile. 'Best to let him last…'

"H-harder...Asami... " Panting and breathless, Akihito brought his hips back hard to match his lover's thrusts, needing the heat and power of it before he could let himself fall over that golden edge. He'd traveled down that road of no return...and he couldn't bring himself to care that he'd have a few new bruises, come morning's first light. All that mattered was here, was now...was Asami. "Hhah! Deeper!" He knew the moment he'd gotten Asami's full attention, and the realization had him shuddering with...other emotions.

Strong arms came around him, catching him as he bowed up and into Asami's chest. Hot… Their bodies burned together, as if someone had struck a match and started a wildfire. This...was this what it was like to burn? 'He did say he'd drag me to hell,' he mused, his coherence quickly fading as Asami's teeth nipped and his tongue caressed. Fire...all of it was fire, building inside him. At its heart, Asami burned the brightest, the hottest...inside him. 'When you play with a demon, you burn…'

He had a second to register his pleasure as he was sent stumbling over the edge. His body grew rigid, and he was coming… Oh god, he was coming hard… Clamping down around Asami, he let the darkness take him, and was vaguely aware of the warmth that poured into him, soothing that untouchably cool place in him. "Asa...mi."

Blackness enveloped him, and he was floating...falling. Strong arms...strong arms were around him still...and the demon took on the form of an angel, cradling him gently as he fell to the bed sheets. Still panting, still breathless, he mourned the fullness of Asami inside him as the man slid out of him, pulling the covers instead to be around Akihito's naked form.

Asami knelt above his young lover, his dark eyes burning with the embers of what they'd stoked just seconds before. He could have gone all night-they'd done it so many times before. And yet, he thought better of it. 'Gentle,' he reminded himself, and that blackness inside him scoffed. Their boy lay naked and ready beneath them...was it not their right to take what was rightfully theirs? Chastising his more...primal instincts, he brought his fingers to brush away the delicate fall of blond that had begun to cling to Akihito's forehead. He was a vision, he mused. A white angel, tainted and bathed in sin...yet no less divine for the hell that he basked in.

Only when his boy's breathing grew soft, only when his body relaxed into the warmth of the blankets, did Asami remove himself from his careful perch above his young lover. Collecting up the delicate, white plumes that dotted the enormous bed, he smiled. Keepsakes. Reminders of what had been...what would be again. Sliding from the bed, his naked state forgotten, he traced the tips of his fingers until he found it. There, the barest notch in an otherwise perfect stretch of wall, hidden carefully behind a painting worth more than half of Tokyo itself. He caressed the sigil there, and inhaled as a shock of familiar power brought the thing to life. Blinking until the red escaped his eyes, he stepped away and watched as the wall fragmented like shards of fine glass, only to disappear.

The familiar rose up and around him, dark and carrying every shade of sin...and more. This special place was decorated far more to his tastes...and he looked forward to bringing his charge into its pleasure very soon. Brushing aside a few leather straps and silver chains, he picked his way to the far wall, and the single, low table that rested there. Unlike the carefully arranged shelves and counters, this surface was smooth, unblemished...and void of the smut that so coated his soul. He would take Akihito there when the time was right...would have him in every way, if only to sate his own desires.

For now, delicate feathers still cradled in one large hand, he reached with his free hand to the single, beautifully enameled box at the center of the table. His fingers caressed the fine intricacies, as he imagined a sinner might lavish their hopes, their dreams upon the saint that would purge them of their sins. There was no saving him...of that he was certain. However, he was not above taking a piece of heaven for himself, if it would ease the endless, tiring hours.

Click.

Yielding to his touch, the gold enamel unlatched and was lifted. Music filled the room now-some delicate tune that Asami never tired of. It was another reminder of the thing he held most dear...or as dear as he could hold anything. Tracing the line of the feathers already nestled amidst the red velvet, he sighed. Slowly, he would collect them. And, in time, he would give his lover back the wings he'd lost. 'And pray his memories come with it…'

Questions for another time. Setting the delicate feathers with the rest, he closed the lid and mourned the music as it was abruptly silenced. As if the sin had been chased away by the delicate notes, the darkness began to encroach, caressing his naked skin like the touch of a lover...familiar and welcoming. He didn't need a mirror to know that his eyes had begun to glow, the flames of hell itself smoldering impossibly red.

Another tune began, cutting the terrible, cold silence he'd let find him. His phone? Casting a look over his shoulder to the entrance of this, his sanctuary, he frowned. Not his work line. Exhaling an exasperated sigh, he turned fully to leave the dimly lit space. Behind him, the wall reknit itself, the shards of reality coming together seamlessly. There, still sound asleep amongst the covers, his angel lay sleeping. When he was sure of the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, Asami bypassed the bed and dug through his hastily strewn clothing until he found the sleek, black device.

Leaving the bedroom at his back, he slid into his robe and brought the phone to his ear before stepping out and into the living room. It was a call he wasn't willing to make within earshot of his young lover. His thumb caressed the back of the device, where a second sigil lay embedded into the black plastic, and the line opened with a soft pop.

"It's three a.m. What do you want?"

"So cold, Ryuichi. But, I suppose it's to be expected." Ignoring Asami's bass growl at the use of his first name, the caller laughed. "Intimidating, but that's to be expected of the favorite son."

"You called for a reason." Gesturing absently to the nearby wet bar, he curled a finger and listened as glass tinkled. The perfect sphere of ice rolled lazily in the glass as it was brought to rest in his waiting hand. A bottle of scotch lifted, as if guided by invisible hands, the cap coming off as the dark liquor sloshed to fill the crystal. He would need a drink...or three.

"You never were one for small talk." Another sigh, this one more dramatic as the caller shifted on the other end. "Father likes that about you...but I could learn to hate you for it."

"Speak plainly, Ryoma. I don't have time for this." Sending the bottle to float back to its place on the wet bar, he took a long sip of the dark liquor and savored the fire it scorched down his throat. His younger brother didn't know when to grow up...but of course he didn't. Though, at the mention of their father, Asami was certain he knew what this call entailed.

"As I'm sure you've not forgotten," Ryoma paused for effect, and it took every ounce of control Asami had not to reach through the line and throttle him. Of course he hadn't forgotten. "Mom's birthday is coming up, and you're expected to attend."

"She isn't my mother." There, he'd put it in plain words. That wasn't to say he didn't like the woman that had birthed both of his younger brothers...but his own mother had passed late enough for him to remember her...and no one else would compare. "It isn't my fault the man couldn't control his harem."

The snarl on the other end told him he'd hit a nerve. "As the first son," Ryoma began, carefully metering his words through gritted teeth. "It is your responsibility to honor her… Or are you too preoccupied at the moment?" It was Asami's turn to snarl, and Ryoma merely laughed. "Either you've your hands full with your own harem...or you're still playing with that angel of yours. Honestly, you already plucked his wings. What use is he as a bed partner after that? He doesn't remember you."

"Fuck you."

"Oh, Ryuichi...you know our rules. We get nothing from playing with one another. Family is nearly off the menu because of it. Don't tell me you've tired of your human prey already? Father did warn you not to rush your meals." A door opened on the other end of the line, and Asami frowned. What was the cagey bastard up to now? "Father, welcome home. Ryu-chan is being difficult. Won't you talk more sense into him?"

A male voice, deeper this time, muttered something. Asami froze, the chill of his father's disapproval coming through the phone very clearly as the device switched holders. Great...he'd hoped to talk with his father in private later… "I'll expect you tomorrow at half past six." No room for discussion.

Fuck.

"I have my responsib-"

"Half past six, no later. Have your assistant handle your business until you return. Kirishima is competent. I'm sure he can see to it for the next month or so."

Recalling his friend and lesser demon secretary, Asami worked to unclench his jaw. That wasn't the point. He couldn't leave Akihito to his own devices that long. The brat had a knack for finding trouble...if trouble didn't find him first. "I've other responsibilities to-"

"Yes, yes, Ryoma told me of your pet. Bring him with you, so long as he remains out of the way, and behaves himself. I assume he's trained?"

"He is," Asami agreed, and felt his grip on the phone relax as he took another hit of scotch. He'd need a cigarette after this.

"Do you leash him?"

"Only during training. He's a handful, but well behaved with enough incentive." He'd begun to smirk, and knew the moment his father had joined him.

"Good boy. Will you be sharing him during your stay?" He didn't have time to stop himself, and he snarled, baring his teeth. Any other time, he knew his father would punish him for the reaction. For now, the older demon laughed, truly amused. "You're just as possessive as I was of your mother. I will never understand why you keep an angel with no wings...but I look forward to meeting him."

The line went dead before he could respond, and Asami groaned. Right...they'd be taking a very...long trip. He couldn't wait to tell Aki.

A click echoed in the distance, and Asami blinked, slowly at first. Lifting his head from the back of the couch, he fixed Akihito with dark eyes. He'd had time to get rid of the red in his eyes, lest his Akihito grow frightened and run. Slowly, his smile returned, and his free hand lifted, beckoning his kitten forward. "Bad dream, Aki?"

Standing partially obscured by the bedroom door and a loose white sheet, Akihito frowned. Had his call woken the younger man? "I would ask who that was...but I've learned I don't want to know." Ignoring Asami's offered hand, Akihito gripped the doorframe in one hand, using the other to clutch his sheet about his shoulders. He was likely still naked beneath it, and Asami found he wanted to see for himself.

"Smart boy," he purred, his hand falling as he pushed to stand. Setting the glass of scotch aside, he moved to the bedroom door and bent with his arm on the partially closed barrier. Did his Akihito think he could hide behind it? If he'd not just replaced the last door, he could have splintered this one without so much as the blink of an eye. Ignoring the barrier, he reached with his other hand to cup the boy's cheek, tilting it to the light for a better look. Had he taken too much from his kitten? 'No dark circles...yet. I'll need to find a secondary food source during our trip, or he'll grow weak.' His thumb moved to the corner of Akihito's lips, and he brushed until the soft opening gave way in a breathy gasp. He had the boy's attention.

Bringing a hand to swat lightly at Asami's intruding finger, Akihito frowned and met the kingpin's nearly black eyes. "I...uhm…" When the finger finally left his lips, he straightened. "I couldn't sleep… Uhm...without you."

Was he imagining the dark flush of Aki's cheeks in the shadowed doorway? Finding he needed to see it clearly, Asami lifted his boy's chin for a better look...and purred. "Good boy," he whispered, opening the door wider. If his boy didn't look so uncertain and weak, he might have taken him then and there, against the bedroom door. As it was, he fought back his instinct to feed. 'I used him hard today… He should sleep before I tell him.' As food sources went, angels were quite resilient. Though...without his wings or his memories, even that source of energy was limited. "Come to bed. I'll not leave your side."

Relief flickered in his big eyes, and was quickly stifled as Akihito stepped away frmo the door and let Asami enter. Could his boy sense his tension? Glancing to the smaller hand on his forearm, Asami felt his lips curve. Of course he could. Though deceptively naive, his kitten could be incredibly perceptive. In time, he did hope to cultivate that and use it. If he'd but loosen his grip on his morals for just a moment, Asami was certain the boy could realize his full potential.

"A...Asami...I…" His gaze came up, sharp now at the hint of unease in Akihito's words. "Nevermind...come to bed." His boy's hands were suddenly around one of his, and Asami blinked as he brightened and began to guide him to the bed. Lingering at his back, he watched the sheet cascade over his boy's naked shoulders and back to pool on the floor. Bruises… Had he been too rough? Waiting until Akihito was crawling onto the bed, Asami nudged him, pushing until his chest lay pressed to the tousled sheets. "Asa...mi?"

"Hold still, Akihito." His muscles had tensed, and Asami sighed before bending to run his lips over the hand-shaped bruises decorating Akihito's back and hips. "I hurt you," he growled, strands of dark hair freeing themselves to fall over his eyes and caress Aki's naked back. If he pushed Aki over that edge so soon, would those phantom wings reappear? Nipping the sensitive flesh where he'd first plucked those downy-soft wings, he felt his boy stiffen, heard him cry out in surprise. There was no visible mark to indicate where they'd been...but he remembered exactly where they'd been, just over his shoulder blades.

"A-Asami, are we going to-" He cut off abruptly, and a sharp cry had his head coming up. "Hhah! Ah...ow." What had gotten Asami so riled? Bracing himself until his insides stopped pulsing and quivering around Asami's thick shaft, he exhaled slowly. It hurt, having been taken so soon after last time...but the familiar pleasure had him suddenly and painfully hard against the sheets. "Wait...don't move. Not ye-" His eyes snapped wide, and his hips drew back instinctively to meet Asami's thrusts. Pain...he was painfully hard, and his only lasting thought was that Asami could relieve him. "Asami! Oh! Asami, sto...AH!" Pleasure spiked sharply, and his body shook. Distantly, he was aware of Asami's hands on his hips, driving him back and against his lover. "I'm...already…"

Swatting his ass to elicit a sharper reaction, Asami shuddered, feeling Akihito tighten around him in response. "Not yet, kitten." Keeping a hand on his hip to keep the boy's hips coming back to meet his, Asami slid his fingers around to circle Akihito's shaft, marveling at how hard he'd become in the seconds it had taken for him to enter the smaller man. Tightening his grip until Aki cried out, desperate and in pain, Asami growled and brought his teeth to graze the nape of his neck. He could bite down, he thought...he could draw blood and lap it away as Akihito came...but resisted. Already, he could feel the boy's mounting sexual energy pooling into him, filtering in through his fingers where they circled the boy's length. Any random stranger, and he'd enjoy draining them...but this was a constant food source, and he wasn't willing to tap it dry. Not yet… Not until he returned the boy's wings.

Half an hour past, and he took his time working his kitten to the edge of madness. "Beg," he growled, and tightened his grip until Akihito cried out. "And I'll fuck you into the mattress as you come." Relieved when Aki couldn't turn and see the red in his eyes, Asami grinned. Close...so close.

"Fuck me…"

"What was that, kitten?"

Anger gave way to need, and Akihito bared his teeth before pushing back against Asami. "Please, fuck me into to mattress… Let me come… Please!"

His grip loosened abruptly, and the tip of his thumb drew with painful slowness over Akihito's tip, gathering the pre that had gathered there. Drawing almost completely out of the tight heat that had wrapped itself around him, Asami paused, eyes wide. There, like an image overlayed onto reality, was the faint outline of downy soft feathers. White...they were white and delicate. Eyes fixed on those strange, not-quite-there wings, Asami slammed himself home and growled, feeling his own release surging forward to pour into Akihito's shuddering form. He knew already that his boy had found release. He'd tightened abruptly, his body going rigid as his hips bucked.

In the seconds it took for his lover to come, those beautiful wings grew solid, taking on depth and reality as they unfolded from his back to envelop most of the room. Though a touch would cause them to begin to fade, Asami lifted a hand to caress one of the almost-real feathers. It...was the closest to salvation he would ever be...and slowly the wings began to fragment, the feathers falling to disappear like glass. None of them had become solid...there were none to collect. Mourning the weight of that reality, he eased Akihito back to the bed, noting that the boy had blacked out once more. He would remain human, with all of his human memories.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, wake up!" He cringed, pulling fruitlessly at Asami's arm where it lay draped over his body. He needed to get up and shower. 'If I'm remembering last night correctly...I really need to shower.' How many rounds had they gone before he'd passed out? Taking stock of the minor ache in his hips, as well as the minute bruising on his arms and thighs, he was pleasantly surprised to realize that they'd had a light night...erm, morning. It'd been three something in the morning by the time he'd passed out. 'Blacked out,' the voice in his head corrected, and he groaned. Glancing to Asami, where the man lay unconscious beside him in the bed, he sighed. 'Must be his day off. Pfft! Him? Taking a day off?' Toning down his sarcasm long enough to slink out from under the yakuza's big arm, he narrowly avoided tripping over himself. Ok...maybe walking should have waited.

But he really needed that shower.

"Going somewhere, kitty?" A hand on his wrist had him stumbling backward, eyes wide. "Mm, you were warm…" Voice still heavy with sleep, Asami gave a tug and smirked as his boy lost his footing. Down he went, and wasn't it a nice coincidence that Asami was there to catch him? Ignoring the boy's futile flailing, he ducked his head to bite at the shell of his kitten's ear.

Like magic, Aki froze, suddenly relieved that his back was to Asami. He wasn't certain he could live down this particular shade of red. "W-what do you want, asshole?"

"I mean...if you're offering, I wouldn't say no." To prove his point, the druglord drew his fingers along Akihito's inner thigh, taking his time as he mapped out where to nip and lick. Ideally, he'd at least like to feet the brat first...but morning sex was so refreshing.

"I thought you had work," he groaned, inhaling sharply as Asami's fingers drew dangerously close to his shaft. He'd walked into this. He'd fucking walked into this…

"Something's come up," was the clipped response before Asami bent to run his teeth over the curve of his reporter's shoulder, down his back. His photographer had tensed under his affections, and the reaction had him hardening beneath the younger man. A lot of things had come up, he mused...not all of them as enjoyable as the here and now.

"Asami, I need to show-Ah!" When had Asami's hand wrapped around him? Face more red than he'd ever live down, and breaths coming in desperate, moaning gasps, Akihito let the crime lord work him. It didn't take long before his own need rose proudly. 'Traitor…' he mused, hating that his body had been conditioned to react so readily.

It occurred to him, slowly, that Asami's arm was no longer around his chest. Instead, he'd made very...creative use of that second hand. Bucking around the fingers that were now inside him, he whined. He was being teased…

"A shower can wait." The words were sin made real, caressing him in places he refused to admit as Asami played his lips along his neck. "Be a good boy and raise your hips, Aki." He didn't have time to refuse, his body working against him as his hips drew up and away from the fingers inside him.

"Happy, Asa-AH!" The slap to his ass had been quick and sharp, stealing his breath before he could finish Asami's name. "Hnnah… Asami…" Risking a glance over his shoulder at the man whose legs he straddled, Akihito bit back a moan. Asami's usually dark eyes were nearly black, the flecks of other colors almost appearing to be red in the room's dim light. 'Just a trick of the light,' he told himself. But that smile… Shuddering above him, Aki couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes from that smile. 'Like he'd eat me if he could…'

A pulse of pleasure silenced his thoughts, and Asami's fingers around him began to caress with deceptive tenderness. "Very," was his only growled response before both hands fell to his boy's narrow hips. Though he'd stopped looking at the crime lord, he could feel the man's eyes on him, watching him.

Pressure had him blinking once, twice… Unable to fight the pull of Asami's hands, Akihito let himself be pressed against the older man. He was ready, despite his usual protests. Already, he missed the pressure of his lover inside him. 'Inside,' he hissed, unwilling to voice the need as he lingered just at Asami's tip. Pressing...Asami was pressing...but it wasn't enough. If he wanted the man inside him, all he had to do was press against him and finish it. 'Sly bastard… He has the nerve to get me worked up first…'

"You know, you have a point. Maybe you should show-"

"Fuck you, we're doing this." Swallowing his pride even as his need took him, Aki pushed against Asami's tip, shuddering as he felt it slip into him. "Hhah! Asami...move." His own need had begun to twitch, eager now that they were properly positioned. Now, if he could just get Asami's hand back around him, and get him to move… 'I can't believe I just thought that…'

"Move? Why, I don't think you realize what position you're in, brat. If you want release, you're going to have to move. We both know you know how." Another sharp smack to his ass had him stifling a yelp as he lifted around Asami. The bastard had a point, and he didn't need to look behind him to know that Asami was pleased...very pleased. "Just like that," his voice chimed, and Aki frowned. The bastard was mocking him...but it felt so good.

To test his theory, Aki lifted his hips a second time, tightening around Asami as he neared the man's tip. There was so much of him… Finally reaching the top, he braced himself and dropped to let Asami slide himself home. "Asami…" Risking a glance over his shoulder, he nearly whined. The man was enjoying this…

"Move your hips, Aki." Fighting for the control he'd need, Asami reached again to brace his hands on Aki's hips. Lifting him, and adjusting for angle, he brought his boy down around him and shuddered as those walls clamped desperately around him. Above him, his young lover arched, his head coming back as pleasure shot through him. He was...divine.

Finally, he seemed to understand. Exhaling a shaky breath, Aki began a slow pace up and down Asami's shaft. "As...Asami...like this?" Legs shaking, and hands bracing himself desperately atop the crime lord, Aki picked up the pace. His older lover had yet to move even his hips. "I…Ah! I need you to move inside me, Asami. Plea-" He'd flipped the switch.

"Faster," he growled, his hands on either side of Akihito's hips. Finally, he moved, his hips coming up even as he drove Aki down around him. Over the music of his boy's desperation and pleasure, the sound of their bodies meeting had Asami picking up the pace.

Hands scrambling for purchase, Aki lost track of how many times he'd screamed Asami's name, wishing he had a pillow to muffle it. Fast...they were going so fast. How did Asami have this much stamina? "Asami… I-I'm close…" Something rustled in the sheets behind him, and he gasped as the heat of Asami's chest met his back. Finally, his fingers found purchase. Lifting his arms to rest on Asami's shoulders, he brought himself down in time with Asami's thrusts.

His fingers found Aki's shaft, wrapping around it to keep it from slapping against his stomach as their pace increased. "Come," he growled, unable to mask the dark humor in his words as his hand provided counter pleasure along Aki's need. He'd push his boy over the edge, having never let him become used to a rhythm before changing it. He wanted to see him when he was lost for words, when he could do nothing but cling to Asami, or risk following his pleasure over that edge completely.

He did come. Hard. Unsure if the sound he made was even human, and lacking the sense to care, Akihito dropped himself a final time around Asami and felt his body clamp down hard. The pleasure that had begun to build so painfully in his groin had him clinging to Asami as he came, the remnants of their sex shooting over his stomach and chest. Full, he was so full… Gasping for air, and unable to move from around Asami, he felt his lover pour into him, his seed coating his walls as he twitched. Hot...so hot. Like he'd burn at any moment, if Asami weren't holding him safely against his chest.

…

"Did you have to go that fast? I still don't have feeling in my legs…" He flushed darkly, blaming it on the steam of the shower as he sat on the tiled shelf. He'd likely bruise…

"Did you have to leave the bed before I woke?" He sounded almost smug, and Aki frowned. Not a pout, mind you, a frown. Pouting was for children. At the sight of it, Asami's smile softened. "Tilt your head and close your eyes."

"Wh-"

"Unless you want to get shampoo in your eyes." When his young lover didn't respond, Asami smiled and began working the shampoo into his water-darkened blond locks. They were soft beneath his touch, slick from the shampoo. Recalling how they framed his lover's face that morning, when he'd looked over his shoulder, Asami shuddered. Nothing of his angel had changed… 'He looked at me, saw me as my control slipped...and he didn't shrink away.' Granted, he'd been in the throes of pleasure…

"Fine, but what's this about going away for a month?" Ah, so he hadn't missed that part.

Inhaling slowly, Asami brought the showerhead to rinse the shampoo. He'd finished cleaning his boy inside...and had enjoyed every moment of it. Though...he'd been hoping the half-sexual act had been enough to distract from his bringing it up. 'Apparently not…' Well, he had to know. "I'll be out of town visiting family for a month, and I'd like you to join me." There, he hadn't demanded it. Aki would go regardless, but he'd not demanded it.

A thought crossed his boy's eyes, and his pouting lips curved into a slow smile. "Go with you to visit your parents? I didn't think you had any."

Confusion gave way to light amusement at that. "Did you think I spawned? Tilt your head again." When he complied without arguing, Asami began working conditioner into his hair.

"It crossed my mind." He paused, seeming to consider Asami from beneath his damp bangs. Slowly, he smiled. "I guess the thought of you having family makes you more...real. You probably already know everything about my parents." Before Asami could muster a wounded expression, Akihito held up a finger. "You didn't get your power by sitting back and waiting. You've known for the better part of the three years we've been together."

Had it already been three years since he'd found his angel's human form? "Together, Akihito?" While he didn't at all mind the implication, his lover's face reddened immediately. His boy could be hopelessly naive at times...and at others, surprisingly sharp.

"Ah! Uhm...you know what I meant. Three years since you browbeat me into staying with you." Before he could turn away and hide his blush, Asami's fingers found his chin and drew it skyward.

"Together," he agreed, and brought his lips to trace Akihito's with surprising gentleness. "Will you join me?"

"Do I get to look at old photos of you as a kid with your mom while you cringe?"

At that, Asami paused. If Akihito managed to endear himself to his father's wife enough to have him looking at old photos, Asami wasn't sure if it was a good or bad sign. "We'll see."

"Then I'd love to-ah!"

He was limping as he made his way out of the limo. How the bastard had pinned him in the shower, then the limo, was beyond him. More than that...how had he packed both of their things so quickly?

"Asami-Sama, will you or Takaba-Sama require my assistance during your stay?" Kirishima, who'd opened Akihito's door to catch the boy before he fell, promptly shut the door and bowed to Asami. Suddenly, Akihito had his answer.

Before he could open his mouth to snipe at Asami, the yakuza had his arm around his waist. A warning to behave. "That is all. Thank you, Kirishima. I will call if I require further assistance."

"Sir." Another bow, and Kirishima was gone, having disappeared around the side of the limo. Mourning his departure, though he and Asami's personal secretary seldom saw eye-to-eye, Akihito frowned.

As the limo departed, soundless in its sleek, black grace, Aki turned once more to the towering gate that surrounded the Asami estate. It was, Akihito thought, strongly reminiscent of an older, more traditional Japan. One in which Samurai fought and defended their lands. 'And what sprawling lands they are, at the heart of Japan…' Something told him he'd get lost, if he strayed too far from Asami.

"Remember our ground rules, Akihito." Another warning. Did the bastard think he'd forgotten? He'd only repeated himself three times over their drive.

"I'm not going to give them a hard time. I reserve that for you...mostly in private." He'd try not to embarrass him in front of his family, though. He was stubborn, not stupid. "You never told me what your family was like."

"You'd have to meet them to understand." Though, in his call to Ryoma, while Aki had been finishing up his shower, he'd warned his younger brother to be on his best behavior. His best human behavior.

"Ah, the prodigal son returns! And he brings a guest." The gates slid open, and all discussion fell away.

A wayward breeze slid lazily from beyond the gate, bringing with it the scent of cherry blossoms and other green, growing things. Momentarily taken aback, Aki resisted the urge to reach for the stray petals as they danced around them. It would be rude, after all.

"Real dramatic… Where is father?" Stepping to be between Akihito and Ryoma, Asami arched a dark brow and waited for his younger brother to get serious.

"My, I see your sense of humor has yet to change. Fine," A flicker of red shone in his eyes a second before he closed them. "Mother and father are awaiting your arrival in the main house. There is very exciting news, I'm told." His eyes opened slowly, and this time they shone a steady, dark brown to match his older brother's. Those same dark eyes slid beyond his brother, to the young man a step behind, and he beamed. "Please, won't you follow me? You can call me Ryoma, if it suits you."

Glancing from one Asami to the next, Akihito frowned. If he'd seen the younger brother without Asami standing inches from him, he might have never guessed. Now, though...the resemblance was startling. While Ryoma Asami was a few inches shorter, and narrower through the shoulders, the brothers shared the same facial structure. 'None of the expressions,' he mused, noting that the younger Asami seemed to be more carefree and happier than his older sibling. 'Then there's the hair.' While Ryuichi's was meticulously slicked back from his face-another powerful tool, much as the suit he wore, and the shoes that shone black in the sunlight-his brother's was loose and waving before his eyes.

Fearing he'd let himself get too caught up in the comparisons, Akihito moved to follow Asami's back. Had...Ryoma been looking at him? He'd been talking to him. 'Remember the rules,' he told himself, and didn't respond. Instead, he bowed his head in acknowledgement and followed, praying Asami would remain as a buffer.

The house itself was nothing short of magnificent. 'Wait...he said the main house.' A quick glance around, and he understood. Encircling the main house were smaller, less ornate houses. If he had to guess, they'd be no less in quality. Perhaps such details were common of the Asami family…

"As you can see-"

"Just take us to the main house, Ryoma. Tour later."

"Fine~ I just assumed your friend would want a proper tour. It would be a shame if he got lost." He'd made his point, and Asami bared his teeth, relieved when Aki couldn't see him. If he left Aki to his own devices, and the boy got lost, Asami couldn't guarantee his safety from his family...or whatever else waited beyond those walls.

"Tour later," he reiterated, and glanced back at Akihito to ensure that the boy was following. "Don't wander off." At his quick nod, Asami turned back to the doors of the main house and waited as they were drawn open. Doors that large shouldn't have been able to move so effortlessly, yet they did. Following his younger brother to his inevitable fate, Asami reached back and took Akihito's hand, using it to pull the boy in before the barrier in the house could register him as an angel and throw him out. Granted, he couldn't be certain they would...but he wasn't taking any chances until he introduced his lover to his father.

* * *

As some of you can probably tell, there was a mix-up with the first chapter. I'd like to thank those of you who were kind enough to review and point it out, otherwise I would have never noticed. Anyway, I'm glad that so many of you seem to enjoy the story so far. I encourage everyone to continue reading and providing constructive criticism, so that I might make this story better. Thank you again, and I hope to keep updating my chapters regularly.


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